April and May have so many wonderful qualities to them. These months are full of liveliness and new beginnings. In addition, for many grade levels, these months mark the season of state testing in our public schools. Starting on April 11th, our students in grades 3-5 will have assessments in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. Grade 5 students will also take the Science/Technology/Engineering test in mid May. The calendars below show you the exact dates that each grade will test.

We are asking for your help to make sure students are ready on the day of the test by focusing on a few special items:

1. Get a good nights sleep
2. Eat breakfast at home when possible (to allow for more time and student preference).
3. Make sure your own Chromebook is fully charged and have it at school.
4. Relax!
5. Bring a book to read in case you finish early.

The Ash-West Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), in collaboration with the AWRSD Department of Pupil Services is offering a webinar on the special education evaluation and eligibility process on Wednesday, April 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This webinar will be presented by the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Please refer to the flyer for more information and the registration link. Parents, guardians, caregivers and professionals are all welcome - please join us!

Happy Spring!

This weekend officially marks the start of Spring! With the Spring comes warmer weather, sunshine, and hopefully more time for all to enjoy outdoor sports, hiking, gardening, or just playing outside. This is a good time to remind everyone that the prevalence of ticks will also be increasing. Be sure to check your student(s) and yourselves daily after spending some time outside, as ticks like to share your living and playing places! For more information on ticks, please click on the following link. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html

Health Screenings

Massachusetts has resumed the requirement for all health screenings to be completed by the end of the school year.

Vision screenings are done on all students in grades K-5; stereopsis is an additional vision screening done with students in grades K-3. Hearing screenings are done on students in grades K-3. Notices of any failures are sent to the parent by the school nurse for follow-up. Results of the follow up will be returned to the school nurse.

Height and weight screenings are completed in 1st grade and 4th grade.

All 5th grade students are checked for scoliosis, unless notification from the parent/guardian has been received by the school nurse to opt out. If you prefer for your student to not participate in this screening, and have not already notified the school nurse, please do so by sending an email, or written note with your request to opt out. Parents/guardians are notified if additional evaluation is needed by the student’s primary care physician.

Physical Exams

Please continue to send in your student’s physical exam documentation from their medical provider. AWRSD requires that all kindergarten and third grade students have a current physical exam on file in the nursing office.

Thank you to all who have donated underwear, clothes, socks, shoes, and boots to the nurse's office! Our supply seems to be replenished at this time. We greatly appreciate your generosity!

MCAS Grade 5 ELA- April 11 & 12

MCAS Grade 4 ELA- April 13 & 14

April Break- April 18-22

MCAS Grade 3 ELA- April 27 & 28

Email: nnorth@awrsd.org
Website: https://jrb.awrsd.org/
Phone: 978-827-5750